Assessment Status Notes

Prel DD

Taxonomic notes

Sacodon fuligineo-violaceus (Eastern North America, USA and Mexico) and Sarcodon joeides (Europe) are look alikes, though not having blakish blue hues. Combined morphological studies and analysis of DNA sequences indicated the presence of cryptic European taxa within the circumscriptions of Hydnellum concrescens, Phellodon melaleucus and Phellodon niger (Ainsworth, 2010), then Mexican subpopulation of Sarcodon fuscoindicus should be confirmed.

Why suggested for a Global Red List Assessment?

This species is easily recognized because of the deep blackish blue basidiomes. It has a limited distribution, restricted to North America: Western Part of Central Neovolcanic Axis in Mexico and Pacific North West in USA). In Mexico it has been collected only once in more than 50 years. Recently, based on panbiogeographic studies, Contreras-Medina and Eliosa-León (2001) and Morrone and Márquez (2001) proposed that the Mexican biota shows different biogeographic relationships as suggested by two North American tracks, one at the east and other at the west, and a Gondwanic track, that relate Mexico to the rest of the Neotropical region. The geographic distribution of the elements that constitute the Mexican biota has been the result of vicariance, dispersal events and local extinction, as well as climatic changes and speciation processes in situ (Salinas-Moreno et al. 2004), in a complex plate tectonic scenario (Ferrusquía Villafranca 1993; Ortega et al. 2000).

DD under IUCN criteria. Mexican subpopulation cospecificity has to be confirmed since the probable host species, Abies religiosa, happen to be endemic to central Mexico.

Geographic range

North America: Western Part of Central Neovolcanic Axis in Mexico and Pacific North West in USA.

Population and Trends

In the Pacific North West (USA) so far >30 localities are known but only one recorded in Western Central Mexico. In Central and Eastern Mexico It has been observed stipitate hydnoids decline (Cifuentes 1999) after an analysis of Mexican Herbaria records, but Western Mexico Sierra Madre Occidental has been poorly explored.

Population Trend:

Habitat and Ecology

Ectomycorrhizal symbiont associated with mature forest and old trees in conifer and mixed temperate forests. Mexican subpopulation might be associated to Abies religiosa, an endemic tree in Central Mexico.

Temperate Forest

Threats

Hydnoid stipitate fungi are one of the most threatened groups of macromycetes, they become important for the recent decline of sporocarps of ectomycorrhizal fungi in large parts of Europe (Arnolds, 2010).
Mexican and Central American temperate forests, associated with mountain chains; are among those preferred ecosystems for activities such as agriculture and animal husbandry. Therefore temperate areas are considered habitats that have been highly disturbed and they are most threatened and, in most of cases, lacking conservation Policies (Luna-Vega et al., 2006).